Sapphire Sea

Sapphire Sea by Christine Robb is, in the words of one prominent ECD caller, "my favorite new dance." And why not? It is utterly accessible, with good flow, set to a tune with good energy by Emily Troll and Amelia Mason, and with lots of opportunities for partner and neighbor interaction, which the dancers at the 2016 Boston Ball mined with superb results.

The dance is what I call a smoothie, no texture in the stepping but for all that perfect when well placed in an evening of dances of varying energy and moods. Clearly the dancers at the Ball embraced Sapphire Sea, as shown in the examples of model dancing and the widespread joy evident in this video. I especially love the way the first women invite their partners into the dolphin hey with just the right eye contact and smile. Special thanks to members of Bare Necessities joined by Naomi Morse for their outstanding rendition of the tune Tom Kruskal’s. –Paul Ross